Mark9

I've just lost interest in the forums really and whilst I really wanted to do a Chessington website, I feel that as I've been so close to the park over the last five years, I wouldn't be able to write about the park in a fair way. I feel as if the theme park chapter of my life is now coming to an endI wish TPM all the best though, when Marc and I started the site back in oh... late 2003, I never thought it would achieve the things it has. Make a great site MikeyT and Keith, Chessington's such a fantastic park and the enthusiasm you both share for the park should make it a fantastic website.

Goodbye

You're going to the wrong continent though if you want GOOD coasters.

Wrong store love

I went for the Curry Wurst to be honest, couldn't be bothered with the rides. I did like the look of the Santa and Reindeer themed kiddie-coaster though, that looked awesome!For anyone thats been, did anyone notice how well themed a temporary funfair is compared to any of our theme parks. Germans just kick our arses in to many ways.

Well you see Fury, being a main attraction and pretty sun drenched had a lot of people fainting due to dehydration for instance. Vampire was covered in tree shadow so got away with it but I remember one day at Fury where I had to keep people in the first part of the queue line as so many people had fainted in the extension.

It was changed this year, it's more to allow the operator to view the whole queueline as the old control panel obscured the view. Other then that, it was exactly the same to operate.

I would vote, but if he isn't going to bother putting down all different types of rollercoasters then there is no point. For instance, why do the two Winjas come down in the same category (despite being two different rollercoasters) and yet Dragons Fury, Tarantula and Salama aren't included... They are the same rollercoaster type (XC3000) so....

Land clearing has begun at Chessington on the new entrance to the parks car park. Many of the trees have been cut down where the Chessington and hotel sign is.

Fantastic podcast. John Wardley is fascinating to listen to and his appreciation for the work hes done is intoxicating. Now a days, all that is ever spoken about is the new rides. it's all new, new, new, the future.Hearing a discussion about the old Vampire, Burps Bubbleworks, Cwoa's Runaway Train, Haunted House and Nemesis reminds me of the magic that I saw in theme parks when I was a kid.Thanks for the link Sheepie, wicked.

I thought it opened 2 weeks before the official start to the season.. It was definitely open at some point because it was open on both AP day and TPM's Saw preview day.

The only ride that didn't open on Thrill Chill's open day was Colossus and as the event went on more rides were added to the line up (Flying Fish, Detonator and Rush). In fact on the actual open day for all rides, the only ones that were open really were the ones that had been open for over a month already.

Otherwise known as "what Theme Park Review think of the worlds rides"

The best thing about JLS is that they have already written a book called "Our story so far." It must be about three pages long.

And you're also fat...

That... and its easier for new staff to start on quiet days as they aren't just thrown into the deep end with a very busy day.

On three trains sometimes you'd notice just to late that someone had taken their shoes off. The answer? Hide their shoes in one of the dark areas so when they get back into the station they'll be like "oh my god, someones nicked my shoes" and we would say "well we did tell you to keep your shoes on." That would get em (even though it is slightly mean).

I think that can be said for any ride at Chessington this season.

Well thank you too for being so polite

Because Rattlesnake has an even lower throughput then Dragons Fury. It would not be able to handle the extra amount of people using normal Express Pass on it. Also, it's height restriction tends to exclude a lot of people whereas the current 6 ride express pass option is family friendly.

It wasn't my best season from a ride operator point of view but if when I visited as a guest the park has looked better then it has ever done. With Wild Asia coming in and an emphasis on the guest experience, 2009 was just the start of Chessington taking back it's place as the best park in the South. Oh.. and I was the last public rider with Marc on Dragons Fury of the 2009 season. And it was magical.

If that was yesterday... that was me operating. Hope you enjoyed your ride.. my last ride of the season :'( Very long.

Fury 70-80 MinutesVampire 70-80 MinutesTomb Blaster 70-80 MinutesBubbleworks 45-60 MinutesRunaway Train 60-70 MinutesRattlesnake 45-60 MinutesDragon Falls 30-40 MinutesBlack Buccaneer 20-30 MInutesSafari Skyway 45 MinutesRameses Revenge 30 MinutesFlying Jumbos 50 MinutesTiny Truckers 45 MinutesGriffins Galleon 20 MinutesToadies Crazy Cars 30 MinutesHocus Pocus Hall Bewitched 90 MinutesWooooo

Haha only just. For those expecting an easy ride this Halloween it won't be... today was Chessington's highest gate figure of the season with all rides having full queue-lines again.

I'd say Vampire is one of the ultimate coasters in the dark as the ride isn't lit up like a cheap christmas tree so when it says in the dark, it really is pitch black. Today the park was incredibly misty and I wish I could have gone to ride Vampire.